1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to the field of aircraft display units that provide information to the pilot or flight crew of an aircraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Winds and temperatures aloft forecasts provide wind and temperature forecasts for specific locations in the contiguous United States, including network locations in Hawaii and Alaska. At the time of this writing, the forecasts are made twice a day based on the radiosonde upper air observations.
Wind directions and winds speeds at one attitude are not the same at a different altitude at the same location at the same time; that is, winds direction and wind speed change with changes in altitude. Generally, wind speeds at upper altitudes are greater than those at lower altitudes.
Once the forecasts are made, the winds aloft information at a specific time may be charted graphically in a symbolic form that is known to those skilled in the art. Typically, each chart corresponds to one altitude at the specific time. In order to determine the differences in wind direction and wind speed between a plurality of altitudes at one time and perhaps a more favorable altitude at which to fly, a pilot may be required to locate the charts applicable to the altitudes of interest and shuffle between charts, thereby requiring him or her to shift his or her focus and/or attention away from the chart and cause a momentary distraction to his or her situational awareness of expected winds aloft in a current or contemplated flight plan.